What’s A Medical Assistant West Mifflin PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant School near West Mifflin Pennsylvania

West Mifflin PA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to join the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near West Mifflin PA, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately pick the best one? A number of prospective students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues also. You might want to look into some online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the schools you are evaluating. And to help you with that process, we have included a few questions that you should ask all of the schools on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Job of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with West Mifflin PA nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Essentially their job is ensure that the West Mifflin PA hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers where they work run efficiently. Depending on the type or size of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other health practitioners but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the many responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Providing general support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants can perform almost any activity they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some prefer to specialize in a particular area and obtain certification. Two of the choices offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training

Unlike many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many West Mifflin PA health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally two choices available for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs typically take about 1 year to complete, some as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to earn an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs available at community and junior colleges as well as vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They frequently have a practical element involving an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Online Medical Assistant Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in West Mifflin PA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are an excellent option for those who might not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue working full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, a number of online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be minimized as well. Just keep in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be carried out in West Mifflin PA area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this method of receiving your education might be the right choice for you. Between the online classes and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent idea for those who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in getting employment after graduation, but it can also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. A number of potential West Mifflin PA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. Among the most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to sit for the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available as well, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask West Mifflin PA medical assistant programs Prior to examining your medical assistant school options, you have to determine which type of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online at home. As soon as those selections have been made, you can start the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, a number of prospective students limit their searches to the schools that are closest to West Mifflin PA with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you must look at when evaluating schools. To help you with that process, following are some questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are several good reasons to confirm that the program you enroll in is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged organizations for accreditation are the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). If your school is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Also, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many prospective West Mifflin PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you need to learn which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will need to choose a program concentrating on that certification. Next, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Obviously programs with lower rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we previously covered, there are essentially two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can opt to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will require approximately two years to complete in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you choose to enroll in, verify that the colleges you are considering offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Many medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with West Mifflin PA area medical providers. They are a great method to receive hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also assist students build relationships within the West Mifflin healthcare community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Offered? Finding that very first job may be a daunting task for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are researching provide job placement assistance in the West Mifflin PA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size can be an indicator of how much personal instruction you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a few classes before choosing a school to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s important that the college you enroll in offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near West Mifflin PA, confirm that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will still have to schedule any internships or practical training that will be required. Additionally, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near West Mifflin Pennsylvania?

If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the West Mifflin PA area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.

West Mifflin, Pennsylvania

West Mifflin is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, located southeast of downtown Pittsburgh. The population was 20,313 at the 2010 census.[4] It is named after Thomas Mifflin, 1st Governor of Pennsylvania, signer of the United States Constitution, and 1st Quartermaster General of the United States Army.[5]

Although the borough is heavily residential, it is home to one of America's oldest traditional amusement parks, Kennywood Park. Other employers include advanced naval nuclear propulsion technology research and development facility, Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory; monorail manufacturer Bombardier; US Steel's Mon Valley Works–Irvin Plant; Community College of Allegheny County's South Campus; and the Allegheny County Airport.[6]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 14.4 square miles (37 km2), of which 14.2 square miles (37 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2), or 1.80%, is water. The landscape is largely hilly and wooded, and the borough's eastern boundary is contiguous with the Monongahela River three separate times. Much of the original landscape has been altered as a result of the historic dumping of steel mill byproducts such as slag and fly ash.

Enroll in the Best Medical Assistant Program West Mifflin PA

West Mifflin PA medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant school that will provide the proper training. Regardless if you’re objective is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you need to acquire the right information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, verify that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in What’s A Medical Assistant. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can subsequently start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in West Mifflin PA.